Meningitis and Listeria Monocytogenes
Meningitis and Listeria MonocytogenesSkip to the navigationTopic OverviewListeria monocytogenes bacteria are
commonly found in soil; dust; water; sewage; unpasteurized cheeses such as
brie, mozzarella, and blue cheese; and uncooked vegetables. These bacteria can
enter the body through contaminated food or water. Foods contaminated with
Listeria monocytogenes can cause
outbreaks of
meningitis. Meningitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes bacteria occurs most often in newborns, older adults, and
people with long-term illnesses or
impaired immune systems. About 10% of cases of
bacterial meningitis each year in the United States are caused by
Listeria monocytogenes.footnote 1 It can
be a serious illness, causing death in some cases. ReferencesCitations- Roos KL, Tyler KL (2015). Meningitis, encephalitis, brain abscess, and empyema. In DL Kasper et al., eds., Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th ed., vol. 2, pp. 883-906. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
CreditsByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical ReviewerE. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical ReviewerW. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease Current as ofMarch 3, 2017 Current as of:
March 3, 2017 Roos KL, Tyler KL (2015). Meningitis, encephalitis, brain abscess, and empyema. In DL Kasper et al., eds., Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th ed., vol. 2, pp. 883-906. New York: McGraw-Hill Education. Last modified on: 8 September 2017
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